Minor Leaguers to get a Raise

[Rosterman]

Always felt ALL baseball teams need a corresponding motel/hotel...partly because of the way rosters change. The problem is making it pay for the of-season, perhaps. or maybe not. Considering that if you get a minor major league callup, it is cheaper for the player to rent a motel room than lease an apartment for the times when they are dong the home game schedule. Talk about living out of a suitcase. Also, if teams pay for housing and meals, is that considered taxable income to the players in any way, or just a perk? You have the clubhouse, which by now should have state-of-art training facilities and clubhouse spaces. Should be stocked with healthy snacks (remember Moneyball and the complaint about having to pay for the pop machine). I always wondered what minor league managers and coaches and trainers make. Yes, as an earlier link posted about the Twins Ft. Myers complex showed, you can do it (and these players are on the low rung...mostly intrasquad games to begin the seasons). But it is a job you choose. My works works in special ed. Doesn't work for 15 weeks a year...needs to have her salary broken down even more to cover those times. Strict wage for when she works. Can spend time before and after school, but on her own dollar. Or at school events. Doesn't get paid for minor prep time at home for the week of activities...that is all worked into the "salary." But it is a choice, for the freedom it involves or the career path taken.

 

[old nurse]

 

I may be wrong, but home or away, I do believe meals are provided. Not to ML quality, and maybe not to the degree of upper milb farm teams. I really don't know.

Anyone?

I applaud those fans/families that support these players. I know the Twins have one of the best complexes in all of milb at Ft Myers for milb, EST and the such, but I don't know how much of that is free or paid for.

Again, anyone?

Someone mentioned bonus money. Unless you are an overslot candidate, past the first 10-12 rounds your bonus is about $10K to nothing.

Were I a billionaire owner, in general, in a multi-billion business who's lifeblood is the milb system, despite how few truly make it, I'd be taking care of my system/players/pipeline the best I could to make MY organization as a standard.

And I still place a lot of blame/responsibility on the players union. To this day, they seem to care about who made it vs where they came from.

Of the 390 players Sportrac has recorded as signing a contract from the 2019 draft that were drafted from rounds 11 on.  240 of them signed contracts 0f 50K or greater. The numbers shift dramatically after round 25. Of those 132 players, only 16 had contracts greater than 100K, 23 greater than 50K

[biggentleben]

 

A few things to remember with the low wages:
1) there are a lot of other benefits along with this like room and board which is normally the majority of your bills
2) comprehensive and fully paid health insurance
3) this is a part time job for them, they have other baseball jobs and seasons and other non baseball jobs so this is not their ANNUAL salary

Having said all that, I think the MLB teams could do better but that should have been a Union thing a long time ago. I put some blame on the PA

Definitely not room. Most teams offer the equivalent of knock-off party subs and apple slices for players and will not allow outside food in minor league clubhouses. That said, weekly food allowance for 20 teams (in 2018) was less than $100 per month.

 

Health insurance is only active while the player is rostered. For any player who is not on an active roster (extended spring training, fall workouts),

 

As far as part-time jobs, any player will tell you that their offseason is now begun (if they are still under team control) with a binder of what the team expects the player to do over the course of the offseason. One player timed his workouts through the entire offseason and found his average day required him to put in 2-3 hours of exercise and skill workouts. On top of that, the hours put in during their time in the summer often eclipse 70-80 hours per week with time they're required to be at the ballpark, so during the summer, they're truly working a full-time job the way that golf pros at golf courses in cold-weather states earn their living, and most municipalities allow their golf pro to make money on golf lessons and merchandise/memberships/candy/etc. sold at the clubhouse as well as their salary during the peak season.

 

I'm putting together an article on this and the Giants announcement on their housing allowances. I'll link that in here when I'm done. It's not a pleasant situation like so many want to paint it in order to debase the "minor leaguers getting low pay" argument - a counter stance I'll never, ever understand.

[biggentleben]

 

This. There is such a disparity between the major and minor leagues that you’d think the major leaguers would get it and understand.

They do, and they have fought, but you can't get everything, and frankly, right now, the lead person in negotiations is so heavily on the side of the owners that it is accepted that "commissioner" is an ownership position. It is a league position. The owners own teams that are part of the league. The absolute removal of those lines under Selig has completely disenfranchised the players in negotiations, and people who enjoy ripping on players for terrible CBAs recently need to understand that they're walking into a situation akin to a middle school team preparing to take on an NFL squad.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

https://calltothepen.com/2018/03/22/mlb-minor-ugly-business/

 

A couple years old, not well cited, but a good read. Claims AAA per diem at that time was $25 per day. Per diem is only payed on road trips.

[biggentleben]

Hey, I edited and published that article!

[obtusebanter]

 

I agree it is nice they are finally making a living wage, but at the same time, they choose that life.  No one is forcing them to play.

This is all true but also touches on a point that has yet to be discussed. Namely, the minor leagues are not functional without real ballplayers. Prospects cannot develop without such a system in place. Scrubs are necessary. The very lucrative industry of Baseball has available the wealth to spread to whom the industry relies upon.  

[biggentleben]

 

This is all true but also touches on a point that has yet to be discussed. Namely, the minor leagues are not functional without real ballplayers. Prospects cannot develop without such a system in place. Scrubs are necessary. The very lucrative industry of Baseball has available the wealth to spread to whom the industry relies upon.  

It goes back to Branch Rickey that the minor leagues had a view of a club being there for 2-4 guys. Everyone else on the team is there to play catch with those 2-4 guys.

[jamisea]

Hey y'all, Twins host mom (Blue Wahoos) posting here. I'm happy for the pay raise for the players.

I had to chuckle at the logic when I saw someone post about the players getting $400/week = $10/hr.  LOL.

Players are at the stadium 10-12 hours per day. A lot of their day is working out, PT, BP, etc. before the game. 

Oh and between Opening Day and the final game (5 months), they get 11 days off. Some of the "days off" end up being half days because they need to load up for a road trip. The guys who make the All-Star team only get 8 days off.

The team provides 2 meals per day at the stadium, an afternoon lunch and a meal after the game.

There are a few free host families in Pensacola, but some are charging some sort of rent (200-300/mo.) From my understanding, Cedar Rapids is free. In Ft. Myers the players can stay at the training facility, but are charged a fee for room/board. I have heard it's $10 per day, which is a bargain for anyone.

Out of their salary, the players have to pay the clubhouse manager, buy breakfast, get transportation, and buy their own equipment (though a few players are provided equipment through endorsements.)

On days they are on the road, the Reds used to pay the players get a per diem of $25. I haven't heard what the Twins pay.

They do get excellent healthcare—as they should. After all it's in the team's best interest to keep the players at top physical conditioning.

Far more players than you'll ever know get ZERO signing bonuses. Maybe they had a crap agent, or no agent. Maybe they were signed from outside MLB. Of the 26 players we have housed over the past 5 seasons, I think 8-9 had signing bonuses.

And yes, there have been 6 guys sharing a 1 bedroom apt. Not here in Pensacola, but one of our former players from the Daytona Tortugas did just that.

On that note, the players know they are lucky to be playing baseball, especially international players. They love it. But it's also their job. We all wish we could get paid for the skill we LOVE rather than slogging away at a desk (I'd ride my Vespa 12 hours a day if I could).

Let's play ball!
Jami

 

[goulik]

 

Hey, I edited and published that article!

Any chance you're willing to post a link?

[Richie the Rally Goat]

Hey y'all, Twins host mom (Blue Wahoos) posting here. I'm happy for the pay raise for the players.

 

I had to chuckle at the logic when I saw someone post about the players getting $400/week = $10/hr. LOL.

 

Players are at the stadium 10-12 hours per day. A lot of their day is working out, PT, BP, etc. before the game.

 

Oh and between Opening Day and the final game (5 months), they get 11 days off. Some of the "days off" end up being half days because they need to load up for a road trip. The guys who make the All-Star team only get 8 days off.

 

The team provides 2 meals per day at the stadium, an afternoon lunch and a meal after the game.

 

There are a few free host families in Pensacola, but some are charging some sort of rent (200-300/mo.) From my understanding, Cedar Rapids is free. In Ft. Myers the players can stay at the training facility, but are charged a fee for room/board. I have heard it's $10 per day, which is a bargain for anyone.

 

Out of their salary, the players have to pay the clubhouse manager, buy breakfast, get transportation, and buy their own equipment (though a few players are provided equipment through endorsements.)

 

On days they are on the road, the Reds used to pay the players get a per diem of $25. I haven't heard what the Twins pay.

 

They do get excellent healthcare—as they should. After all it's in the team's best interest to keep the players at top physical conditioning.

 

Far more players than you'll ever know get ZERO signing bonuses. Maybe they had a crap agent, or no agent. Maybe they were signed from outside MLB. Of the 26 players we have housed over the past 5 seasons, I think 8-9 had signing bonuses.

 

And yes, there have been 6 guys sharing a 1 bedroom apt. Not here in Pensacola, but one of our former players from the Daytona Tortugas did just that.

 

On that note, the players know they are lucky to be playing baseball, especially international players. They love it. But it's also their job. We all wish we could get paid for the skill we LOVE rather than slogging away at a desk (I'd ride my Vespa 12 hours a day if I could).

 

Let's play ball!

Jami

 

 

Fantastic insight, thank you for sharing!

 

Are players only with you during the season? Have you had exposure to offseason work too?

[Richie the Rally Goat]

Any chance you're willing to post a link?

 

https://calltothepen.com/2018/03/22/mlb-minor-ugly-business/

 

A couple years old, not well cited, but a good read. Claims AAA per diem at that time was $25 per day. Per diem is only payed on road trips.

 

Hey, I edited and published that article!

[biggentleben]

 

Any chance you're willing to post a link?

I'm still working on my piece. My apologies for any confusion. I was Bobby's editor when he wrote that piece.

 

Working at a local paper during high school basketball season keeps me crazy busy!

[Squirrel]

Hey y'all, Twins host mom (Blue Wahoos) posting here. I'm happy for the pay raise for the players.

I had to chuckle at the logic when I saw someone post about the players getting $400/week = $10/hr.  LOL.

Players are at the stadium 10-12 hours per day. A lot of their day is working out, PT, BP, etc. before the game. 

Oh and between Opening Day and the final game (5 months), they get 11 days off. Some of the "days off" end up being half days because they need to load up for a road trip. The guys who make the All-Star team only get 8 days off.

The team provides 2 meals per day at the stadium, an afternoon lunch and a meal after the game.

There are a few free host families in Pensacola, but some are charging some sort of rent (200-300/mo.) From my understanding, Cedar Rapids is free. In Ft. Myers the players can stay at the training facility, but are charged a fee for room/board. I have heard it's $10 per day, which is a bargain for anyone.

Out of their salary, the players have to pay the clubhouse manager, buy breakfast, get transportation, and buy their own equipment (though a few players are provided equipment through endorsements.)

On days they are on the road, the Reds used to pay the players get a per diem of $25. I haven't heard what the Twins pay.

They do get excellent healthcare—as they should. After all it's in the team's best interest to keep the players at top physical conditioning.

Far more players than you'll ever know get ZERO signing bonuses. Maybe they had a crap agent, or no agent. Maybe they were signed from outside MLB. Of the 26 players we have housed over the past 5 seasons, I think 8-9 had signing bonuses.

And yes, there have been 6 guys sharing a 1 bedroom apt. Not here in Pensacola, but one of our former players from the Daytona Tortugas did just that.

On that note, the players know they are lucky to be playing baseball, especially international players. They love it. But it's also their job. We all wish we could get paid for the skill we LOVE rather than slogging away at a desk (I'd ride my Vespa 12 hours a day if I could).

Let's play ball!

Jami

 

Thank you for providing some insider knowledge.

[jamisea]

 

Fantastic insight, thank you for sharing!

Are players only with you during the season? Have you had exposure to offseason work too?

We don't normally see players outside of the season, unless we travel to Spring Training. We did that last season and are going this season with the Blue Wahoos front office staff. However we have had the occasional player roll through town and spend the night on the way home from somewhere else. We have an "open door policy" with all of the "kids."

I'm facebook friends with many of the players, so try to keep up with them when we can. Last season was a bit confusing when the Lookouts (Reds) played in Pensacola because we hosted 3 of those players before.

One of our former Reds players, Calten Daal, was traded to the Twins—so that will be fun to see him again in Ft. Myers!



 

[Squirrel]

We don't normally see players outside of the season, unless we travel to Spring Training. We did that last season and are going this season with the Blue Wahoos front office staff. However we have had the occasional player roll through town and spend the night on the way home from somewhere else. We have an "open door policy" with all of the "kids."

I'm facebook friends with many of the players, so try to keep up with them when we can. Last season was a bit confusing when the Lookouts (Reds) played in Pensacola because we hosted 3 of those players before.

One of our former Reds players, Calten Daal, was traded to the Twins—so that will be fun to see him again in Ft. Myers!

 

When will you be in Fort Myers?

[jamisea]

I'll be in Ft. Meyers late on Sunday March 22 - Wed. March 25.

[Squirrel]

 

I'll be in Ft. Meyers late on Sunday March 22 - Wed. March 25.

Ahh ... two ships passing in the night ... I'm leaving again on the 22nd.

[big dog]

I've been out of town but just to respond late- I have a good friend whose son was drafted in the mid-20s, out of college.  No signing bonus whatsoever.  Lived in a basement apartment with four other guys.  They used to toss used balls out of the bullpen to fans who could pitch a quarter into a baseball cap in the middle of the bullpen.  He said that was how they could afford to do their laundry.

 

There were some families who took in players, but not nearly enough to cover the whole team.  He lasted 2.5 years, and only made it that long because his parents helped with his living expenses. My friend said it was mind-boggling what some of the other players without parental support had to do to survive.

 

So this increase is something, but doesn't seem like enough given all the money this league is raking in for owners and superstars.  I suppose you could say the same thing about hedge funds, but we NEED baseball.

 

[wagwan]

I think most of you have no idea how many real people with families make do on a similar amount of money.  Minimum wage of $8 an hour gives you 320 a week. No benefits.  

 

Before I feel sorry for able young men pursuing a dream of riches and glory, we need to fix a system where a full time working parent can't support their family. 

 

I put myself through university making less than this. Most of these guys are that age. How much SHOULD they expect to make?

[biggentleben]

 

I think most of you have no idea how many real people with families make do on a similar amount of money.  Minimum wage of $8 an hour gives you 320 a week. No benefits.  

 

Before I feel sorry for able young men pursuing a dream of riches and glory, we need to fix a system where a full time working parent can't support their family. 

 

I put myself through university making less than this. Most of these guys are that age. How much SHOULD they expect to make?

In conversation with a guy yesterday, he had a $10,000 bonus out of college as a third-day selection, but then he tracked his time while in short-season ball. He averaged 71 hours per week among practice time, pregame time, time at the game, travel time, etc. Even at the increased wage, that'd be $5.63 per hour.

 

You say, "but he had a $10,000 bonus!" Sure, except that he applied that to the $20,000+ left in school loans because he was among the majority of college baseball players who play at less than 50% scholarship, even on the top teams in the country. The absolute elite among college baseball players are often receiving less than a full scholarship because their team does not have enough to give. To put some numbers to it, there are over 8,000 NCAA Division I college baseball players. The NCAA allows for less than 3,500 scholarships to be spread among those players at a rate of 11 2/3 per team.

 

You want to address living wages for working families, which is an area that we aren't allowed to get into here, but why not both? Why choose between one bad situation to fight or another? Fight for the correction of both!

[Richie the Rally Goat]

Mod note: let’s keep it to OP

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

It may be different in other organizations, but I don't think the Twins provide room and board.

they do at some level. One of the Elizabethan hosts posts here from time to time. Madre Dos I think???  

 

At Fort Meyers they can get very cheap housing. Honestly, I still am at a loss about the competitive advantage being flushed away by not providing cheap housing and controlling their nutrition. I can understand that not being the case in AA or AAA as you have more married players and higher salaries, but at the lower levels controlling that kind of stuff can be huge. 

[Mr. Brooks]

they do at some level. One of the Elizabethan hosts posts here from time to time. Madre Dos I think???

 

At Fort Meyers they can get very cheap housing. Honestly, I still am at a loss about the competitive advantage being flushed away by not providing cheap housing and controlling their nutrition. I can understand that not being the case in AA or AAA as you have more married players and higher salaries, but at the lower levels controlling that kind of stuff can be huge.

Hosts are community volunteers.

The team isn't paying for their housing.

[Squirrel]

they do at some level. One of the Elizabethan hosts posts here from time to time. Madre Dos I think???  

 

At Fort Meyers they can get very cheap housing. Honestly, I still am at a loss about the competitive advantage being flushed away by not providing cheap housing and controlling their nutrition. I can understand that not being the case in AA or AAA as you have more married players and higher salaries, but at the lower levels controlling that kind of stuff can be huge.

 

Madre dos passed away a few years ago.

[DocBauer]

I appreciate any arguement about the cost of living in general for anyone and everyone. But, of course, we are talking specifically about the young men in milb here. Their hours per week, as has been stated, is not just a 40hr work week. And for many/most/all there isn't much of an offseason to work and put away extra cash due to continuing to work on their games. And most, unless they had additional grants and the such, have student loans on top of every day expenses.

 

While it is absolutely true that each team only has a handful of guys who will ever make THE SHOW and earn anything there, you still need full teams. You also never know who will suddenly rise up to make themselves a contributor. Witness Dobnak as an example.

 

I have no clue if there are existing rules and/or regulations that somehow prevent a parent club from spending more on salaries, food allowances, etc. But what is spent on each team couldn't be more, I'd bet, than a ML rookie earning minimum.

 

The recent changes are very welcome and a good first step. But again, were I an owner knowing these young players are the lifeblood of my parent club, I'd be much more aggressive in what I provided.

[biggentleben]

I promised this article once it was done, and I forgot to post it:

 

https://www.prospectslive.com/featured-articles/2020/2/27/minor-leaguers-getting-more-payand-still-are-broke

 

My warning is that this is not a quick read, so grab a warm beverage (or a green beverage tonight), and enjoy!

[mlhouse]

 

It's still a disgrace how low minor league players salaries are.

 

IF the salaries were too low, then there would not be enough labor being supplied to field minor league baseball team (with labor not just representing quantity, but a combination of quality and quantity).  

 

Baseball may have analyzed this fact and saw how the talent was distributing across sports and decided to raise the weekly pay to be more competitive with football and basketball.

[biggentleben]

 

IF the salaries were too low, then there would not be enough labor being supplied to field minor league baseball team (with labor not just representing quantity, but a combination of quality and quantity).  

 

Baseball may have analyzed this fact and saw how the talent was distributing across sports and decided to raise the weekly pay to be more competitive with football and basketball.

If that's the thought, the league will fail miserably and this season's Brockmire will be more predictive than comedic. Frankly, the carrot at the end of the minor league road is so tempting that there will always be those who start down the road with visions of being the guy who beats the odds because MLB contracts, as bad as the CBA may be slanted, are still the most player-friendly in professional sports.

[tony&rodney]

The article is absolutely "right on". I could add similar accounts but Benjamin Chase has really done the job correctly. The dream is real, the pay is a classic case of exploitive behavior.